Vacuum interrupter with slow opening solenoid core inside to shorten the length of the conductor assembly

Abstract

A vacuum circuit interrupter integrates a solenoid core within the vacuum chamber for opening the separable contacts under non-fault conditions, using less space than if the solenoid were disposed in series with a high speed actuator. The interrupter includes an iron core, a steel seat with a trough, and a solenoid coil seated in the trough. The steel seat has a central opening through which the movable conductor passes. The iron core is fixed to a portion of the movable conductor so as to laterally surround the movable conductor within the vacuum chamber. The steel seat is structured such that, when the separable contacts are closed and a user provides an activating current to the solenoid coil, the magnetic field generated around the coil magnetizes the steel seat. When the steel seat is magnetized, it attracts the iron core, causing the movable conductor to separate from the stationary conductor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A solenoid actuator arrangement for actuating travel of a movable conductor of a vacuum circuit interrupter from a closed state to an open state, the movable conductor comprising a movable separable contact, the vacuum circuit interrupter including a vacuum housing fixed in position and positioned to contain the movable separable contact and a stationary separable contact, the solenoid actuator arrangement comprising:
 an actuator seat, the actuator seat being fixed in position in the circuit interrupter and comprising:
 a steel seat, the steel seat comprising:
 an actuator seat central opening structured to receive the movable conductor and enable the movable conductor to travel in an opening direction; and 
 a trough structured to surround the movable conductor; and 
 
 a solenoid coil seated in the trough; and 
 
 an iron core, the iron core being structured to be fixedly coupled to the movable conductor within the vacuum housing of the vacuum circuit interrupter so as to laterally surround a portion of the movable conductor within the vacuum housing, 
 wherein the steel seat is structured to be magnetized when current is supplied to the solenoid coil, 
 wherein the iron core and the steel seat are structured to cause the steel seat to attract the iron core when the steel seat is magnetized, and 
 wherein the iron core and steel seat are structured to cause the movable conductor to separate from a stationary conductor of the circuit interrupter when the iron core is coupled to the movable conductor and when the steel seat is magnetized. 
 
     
     
       2. The solenoid actuator arrangement of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the iron core comprises a central cutout extending from a distal end of the iron core toward a proximal end of the iron core, 
 wherein the iron core central cutout is structured to enable a set of bellows to be coupled to one end of an interior of the vacuum housing, and to enable the bellows to laterally surround the movable conductor and be positioned laterally between the movable conductor and the iron core when the iron core is coupled to the movable conductor. 
 
     
     
       3. A pole assembly for a circuit interrupter, the pole assembly comprising:
 a stationary conductor comprising a stationary separable contact; 
 a movable conductor comprising a movable separable contact, the movable conductor being structured to move between a closed state and an open state; 
 a vacuum housing fixed in position in the circuit interrupter and positioned to contain the stationary separable contact and movable separable contact; and 
 a solenoid actuator arrangement structured to actuate the movable conductor from the closed state to the open state, the solenoid actuator arrangement comprising:
 an actuator seat, the actuator seat being fixed in position in the circuit interrupter and comprising:
 a steel seat, the steel seat comprising:
 an actuator seat central opening that receives the movable conductor and enables the movable conductor travel in an opening direction; and 
 a trough that surrounds the movable conductor; and 
 
 a solenoid coil seated in the trough; and 
 
 an iron core fixedly coupled to the movable conductor within the vacuum housing such that the iron core laterally surrounds a portion of the movable conductor within the vacuum housing, 
 
 wherein the steel seat is structured to be magnetized when current is supplied to the solenoid coil, 
 wherein the iron core and the steel seat are positioned relative to one another to enable the steel seat to attract the iron core when the steel seat is magnetized, and to cause the movable conductor to separate from the stationary conductor when the steel seat is magnetized. 
 
     
     
       4. The pole assembly of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the vacuum housing comprises a set of bellows, 
 wherein the iron core comprises a central cutout extending from a distal end of the iron core toward a proximal end of the iron core, 
 wherein the iron core central cutout is structured to enable the set of bellows to be coupled to one end of an interior of the vacuum housing, and to enable the bellows to laterally surround the movable conductor and be positioned laterally between the movable conductor and the iron core. 
 
     
     
       5. The pole assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a number of dowels, 
 wherein the movable conductor comprises a number of fastener receiving slots, 
 wherein the iron core comprises a number of fastener receiving openings, 
 wherein the iron core is positioned laterally around the movable conductor such that the fastener receiving openings in the iron core align with corresponding fastener receiving slots in the movable conductor, and 
 wherein the dowels are inserted into the fastener receiving openings in the iron core and into the fastener receiving slots in the movable conductor to fixedly couple the iron core to the movable conductor. 
 
     
     
       6. The pole assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a high speed actuator structured to actuate the movable conductor from the closed state to the open state at a higher speed than the solenoid actuator arrangement, 
 wherein the high speed actuator is disposed distally relative to the solenoid actuator arrangement. 
 
     
     
       7. The pole assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a bushing positioned laterally around the movable conductor within the actuator seat central opening, 
 wherein the actuator seat central opening extends from a distal side of the steel seat to a proximal side of the steel seat, and comprises a first section with a first width, a second section with a second width, and a third section with a third width, 
 wherein, in a plane in which the first section of the actuator seat central opening meets the second section of the actuator seat central opening, the steel seat comprises a bushing seating surface on which a portion of the bushing is seated, and 
 wherein, in a plane in which the second section of the actuator seat central opening meets the third section of the actuator seat central opening, the steel seat comprises a vacuum housing seating surface on which the vacuum housing is seated. 
 
     
     
       8. The pole assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an insulative cap coupled to a proximal side of the actuator seat, 
 wherein the vacuum housing comprises a bellow shielding cup and a ceramic housing body, 
 wherein a base of the bellow shielding cup is seated on the vacuum housing surface, 
 wherein a rim of the bellow shielding cup is coupled to a distal end of the ceramic housing body, and 
 wherein a proximal side of the insulative cap engages the distal end of the ceramic housing body. 
 
     
     
       9. The pole assembly of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the stationary conductor, movable conductor, and vacuum housing form a vacuum interrupter such that the iron core is disposed within an interior of the vacuum housing, and 
 wherein the actuator seat is structured to be coupled to the exterior of the vacuum interrupter. 
 
     
     
       10. A hybrid circuit interrupter, the hybrid circuit interrupter comprising:
 a hybrid switch assembly connected between a power source and a load, the hybrid switch assembly comprising:
 a pair of mechanical separable contacts including a stationary separable contact and a movable separable contact; and 
 an electronic interrupter; 
 
 a stationary conductor comprising the stationary separable contact; 
 a movable conductor comprising the movable separable contact, the movable conductor being structured to move between a closed state and an open state; 
 a high speed actuator configured to separate the mechanical separable contacts under fault conditions; 
 a vacuum housing fixed in position in the circuit interrupter and positioned to contain the mechanical separable contacts; and 
 a solenoid actuator arrangement configured to actuate the movable conductor from the closed state to the open state under non-fault conditions, the solenoid actuator arrangement comprising:
 an actuator seat, the actuator seat being fixed in position in the circuit interrupter and comprising:
 a steel seat, the steel seat comprising:
 an actuator seat central opening that receives the movable conductor and enables the movable conductor travel in an opening direction; and 
 a trough that surrounds the movable conductor; and 
 
 a solenoid coil seated in the trough; and 
 
 an iron core fixedly coupled to the movable conductor within the vacuum housing such that the iron core laterally surrounds a portion of the movable conductor within the vacuum housing, 
 
 wherein the steel seat is structured to be magnetized when current is supplied to the solenoid coil, 
 wherein the iron core and the steel seat are positioned relative to one another to enable the steel seat to attract the iron core when the steel seat is magnetized by the solenoid coil, and to cause the movable conductor to separate from the stationary conductor when the steel seat is magnetized. 
 
     
     
       11. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the high speed actuator is structured to actuate the movable conductor from the closed state to the open state at a higher speed than the solenoid actuator arrangement, and 
 wherein the high speed actuator is disposed distally relative to the solenoid actuator arrangement. 
 
     
     
       12. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a drive shaft coupled to a distal end of the movable conductor, 
 wherein the high speed actuator is a Thomson coil actuator, the Thomson coil actuator comprising:
 a planar coil seated in a coil housing fixedly positioned within the circuit interrupter, the planar coil and the coil housing both comprising a central opening through which the drive shaft can pass; and 
 a conductive plate fixedly coupled to the drive shaft. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the vacuum housing comprises a set of bellows, 
 wherein the iron core comprises a central cutout extending from a distal end of the iron core toward a proximal end of the iron core, 
 wherein the iron core central cutout is structured to enable the set of bellows to be coupled to one end of an interior of the vacuum housing, and to enable the bellows to laterally surround the movable conductor and be positioned laterally between the movable conductor and the iron core. 
 
     
     
       14. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a number of dowels, 
 wherein the movable conductor comprises a number of fastener receiving slots, 
 wherein the iron core comprises a number of fastener receiving openings, 
 wherein the iron core is positioned laterally around the movable conductor such that the fastener receiving openings in the iron core align with corresponding fastener receiving slots in the movable conductor, and 
 wherein the dowels are inserted into the fastener receiving openings in the iron core and into the fastener receiving slots in the movable conductor to fixedly couple the iron core to the movable conductor. 
 
     
     
       15. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a bushing positioned laterally around the movable conductor within the actuator seat central opening, 
 wherein the actuator seat central opening extends from a distal side of the steel seat to a proximal side of the steel seat, and comprises a first section with a first width, a second section with a second width, and a third section with a third width, 
 wherein, in a plane in which the first section of the actuator seat central opening meets the second section of the actuator seat central opening, the steel seat comprises a bushing seating surface on which a portion of the bushing is seated, and 
 wherein, in a plane in which the second section of the actuator seat central opening meets the third section of the actuator seat central opening, the steel seat comprises a vacuum housing seating surface on which the vacuum housing is seated. 
 
     
     
       16. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an insulative cap coupled to a proximal side of the actuator seat, 
 wherein the vacuum housing comprises a bellow shielding cup and a ceramic housing body, 
 wherein a base of the bellow shielding cup is seated on the vacuum housing surface, 
 wherein a rim of the bellow shielding cup is coupled to a distal end of the ceramic housing body, and 
 wherein a proximal side of the insulative cap engages the distal end of the ceramic housing body. 
 
     
     
       17. The hybrid circuit interrupter of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the stationary conductor, movable conductor, and vacuum housing form a vacuum interrupter such that the iron core is disposed within an interior of the vacuum housing, and 
 wherein the actuator seat is structured to be coupled to the exterior of the vacuum interrupter.